Zimbabwe Rewarded For Test Cricket Perseverance

It was the moment beleaguered local cricket tragics, so accustomed to the stench of losing, had been waiting 12 years. And, man, was it sweet.

Zimbabwe – long mocked and scorned – recorded their first home Test victory since 2013 when quick Blessing Muzarabani knocked over Khalil Gurbaz to complete a massive innings and 73-run win over Afghanistan in Harare.

Their biggest ever Test victory ended a run of six straight defeats in the red-ball format since April. Where are the haters now?

Zimbabwe, a smaller Full Member nation, showed what they are capable of to beat a talented Afghanistan team, who had emerged triumphant on the same ground earlier in the year.

Ben Curran, the brother of England cricketers Tom and Sam, led a steely batting effort with a maiden Test century while Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans tore through Afghanistan to trigger scenes of celebration.

It has capped a very busy stretch of Test cricket for Zimbabwe, who have played 10 matches this year – the most of any country.

Despite being sidelined – along with Ireland and Afghanistan – from the nine-team World Test Championship, meaning most Test playing countries have little incentive to play, Zimbabwe have fought hard for fixtures in a bid to get better and climb the ladder.

They are thinking of the long-term, hoping to inspire a new generation in a long format at odds with the rapid speed of modern day society.

Unlike Ireland and Afghanistan, Zimbabwe don’t just want to excel in white-ball cricket even if the added exposure opens them up to mockery as they experienced after big losses recently to established teams South Africa, New Zealand and England.

The hypocrisy inflicted on Zimbabwe, a nation with limited resources and trying so hard just to get a chance at playing Test cricket, has been laughable but entirely predictable for a sport laced with exceptionalism.

There have long been fears about the future of Test cricket surviving beyond powers India, England and Australia, but yet so many stick the boot in when Zimbabwe fall short of the mark.

Do these critics want smaller countries to play Test cricket or would they rather the traditional, five-day format just be reduced to a handful of teams? How utterly boring and sad would it be if the latter was the prevailing view.

There needs to be much more patience and an acceptance that it will take time – and a lot more wider support – for the likes of Zimbabwe to be consistently competitive in cricket’s toughest format.

It’s unsurprising there is such a gap on-field considering the wealth inequality off it. It costs $500,000 for Zimbabwe to host a match – large sums for a nation with a miniscule domestic broadcast deal of $2.5 million per year compared to billion-dollar deals of England, India and Australia.

Yet Zimbabwe keep on enduring despite being a punchline for many and much of their perseverance has to do with influential Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani, a key administrator behind the scenes in world cricket.

Mukuhlani has been part of a working group looking into Test cricket, with a remit being to provide more playing opportunities for smaller countries like Zimbabwe.

The working group has done a lot of the grunt work for a larger committee looking into the future of international cricket, including whether Test cricket should be split into two divisions.

That’s to be decided, but Zimbabwe’s determination to continue to play Test cricket is unwavering.

“To play so many Tests shows positive intention on our part to grow Test cricket,” Mukuhlani told me on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council annual meetings in Singapore in July. “It shows we’re investing money because Test cricket is expensive.

“Some of the attacks and criticisms the team has copped have been very unfair.”

Away from the trio of powers hogging most of the attention, something that feels fresh and exciting is percolating in Zimbabwe. The landlocked southeast African nation is fast becoming a destination for major cricket events and will co-host the 2027 World Cup.

ForbesZimbabwe Becoming Destination For Major Cricket EventsBy Tristan Lavalette

Make no mistake, they are going to keep thinking outside of the box in the hope of playing even more Test cricket. One appealing option is to entice teams to visit Zimbabwe en route to neighboring South Africa.

Zimbabwe have the ambition, patience and, quite clearly, backbone considering it has put up with much more criticism than they deserve.

As they basked in the afterglow of a rare Test victory among their beaming compatriots, with youngsters in the terraces feeling particularly inspired, Zimbabwe’s indefatigable players and administrators knew their toil have been well worth it.